Seat for motor vehicles



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SEAT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed August 1. 1918 LEWIS CQHILL, or DETROIT, MICHrGAN, AssIGnoR To PACKARD Moron can CoM-L` PANY, on nnrnorr, MICHIGAN,

v.A CORPORATEON OF'IVIICHIGAN.

SEAT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application ilefl August 1, 1918. Serial No. 247,785. 1

The present linvention relates to vehicles and more particularly to a displaceable seat therefor. A

In certain types of motor vehicles, for instance the sedan type, a single door is provided in the side of the body and located between the front and rear seats, the front seats being dividedA so that the latter may be occupied by entering through the door and passing between the front seats. As the vehicles are often driven with therear seats' vacant it would be more convenient if a direct entrance were provided for the front seats.- This desirable object has been accomplished in the 'present invention by mounting a displaceable seat'substantially as usual relative to the door, that is to say, entrance to the front seats may be had through a door andvin front of said seats. the front seat adjacent the door may be ldisplaced so as toV give sufficient space in rear of the saine to provide a passage for one desiring to enter the tonneau or occupy the rear seats.

' The invention includes theV features of the displaceable front seat arranged relative to the door so that entrance is had either inV front or rear of. said seat, and also includes the manner of mounting the seat so that it may be displaced sufficiently to give a passage inV rear of the. same from the door to the tonneau. Y

These features and the preferred construction for accomplishing the saine willvbe apparent from the description taken in connection with the drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe inside of the body Vof a motor vehicle constructedin accordance with the.

present invention; v Y y Figure-2 is a partial'sectional elevationof the body illustrating the position of ,the front seat relative to the door; and4 Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the linkage for restraining the chair to move in' a curved path illustrating the positionsgof the centers of rotation of the seat.

Referring to the drawings the reference numeral 10 indicates the side of the body ofv a motor vehicle having an opening 11 therein adapted to be closed by a door 12. .A seat l3faces and is spaced from the instrument board 10EL and is arranged relative to the door so that the front seats may be occupied by passing through the door and in Further,

frontV of said seat 13, the space between the i front of the seat 13 and the front edge of the opening 11 being clearly shown in Figure 2. -It will be observed, however, that the seat `13 prevents one from passing' directly throughvthe door to the tonneau and to permit entering in this manner the seat p `is mounted so that it may be displaced forwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, thus .providing a passage in rear of the seat for entrance to the tonneau. The structure for` supporting'. and permitting the seat to be displaced comprises a bar` 14, secured to the floor of the body in any suitable manner and having the two upright posts 15 on which vthe front portion of the seat rests, these posts being lunattached to the seat; Secured to the rear part of the bottom ofthe seat as by means of screws 16 are twoposts 17 the'lower'ends of which rest on the floorbut are. unattached thereto. For the purpose of guiding the seatwhen it is displaced a linkage is interposed; between the bottom thereof and the floor. VAs shown, a bearing bracket 18 is secured to the bottom of the seat and a similar bearing bracket 19is secured to theloor slightly in advance of the lbracket 18. A pairof links 20 have their ends pivotally. connected to the brackets 18 and 19.y Secured to the floor and directly in reary of the Abracket 19, isa similar bracket 21 and in rear of the bracket 18. is a similar Vbracket 22 fastened to theV Y underside of the seat, the distance between ends tothe brackets 22 and 21, these links being longer than the links 20. lt will be 'observed 'that the links 2O are 'inclined slightly to the rear from the vertical passing through the bracket 19 and consequently during the :first portionof the displacing movement ofthe seat'the `bracket y18 will travel'forwardly and upwardly. `Likewise the bracket V22 will travel forwardly and upwardly, the upward motion' of this latter bracket being gieaterthfin that of bracket 1S. The resultant motion given to the seat will cause it to be lmoved forwardly and downwardly overthe front posts 15, the rear posts 17 of course moving with the chair as they are secured thereto. i

The operation of the linkage will be clear from an examination of Figure 3.- The floor corresponds to a fixed linkV AB, connecting the lower ends of the links 2O and 23 while the seat constitutes a member connecting the upper ends of these link s. The full lines in this figure indicate the normal position of the linkage. At the instant the seat begins its displacing movement the center of rotation of the same as a body will be at the point a, this center being below the ioor of the body. In its final position indi-V .cated in dotted lines, the links' 20 and 23 'the seat `always being; 'cause of this fact the path of movement of ,assuming the positions indicated at Q0 and 23', the center of rotation will be about the point which also lies below the floor of the body. Thus `the seat 'when displaced moves iin a curved path, the centers `of rotation of below the floor. Be-

the seat is AHatter than if it were pivoted vto swing about a point on the door. Furthermore, because ofthe fiatness of this path of movement 'the back of vthe seat when -d'isplaced does not strike the instrument board andne'ither'do the posts 17 approach at all closely to a horizontal position which would interfere with the entrance in rear of the seat.

From the foregoing description it will 'be seen that the chair is loosely supported and yet'is guided when displaced so that it affords a maximum `opening in rear of the chair. Furthermore, 4the arrangement of the linkage vgives a very substantial construction which prevents movement of the seat when it is occupied. Y

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown land described, it is understood that the invention is not limited `to the exact construction lshown but comprehends changes 'and modifications which are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed `as new and desired to' be secured by Letters Patent ist 1.*'In a motor vehicle, in combination, a

front lseat'facing` and spaced from the -instrument board, 'a door at the side of the seat, said door and seat being arranged tofpermit entrance through the door infront of said seat between the seat and instrument "lioard, and means supporting saidv seat for forwa. displacement to permit entrance through the door in rear ofthe displaced seat, `said means including a support for the front ofthe seat secured to the floor 'and unattached to theA seat, a support for the rear of the seat 'secured to 'the seat i the floor,

and unattached to the floor, and a linkage independent of said front su-pport operating as the entire means to guide the seat forward and down over said front support.

2. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a front seat facing and spaced from the instrumentboar-d, a door at the side of the seat, said door and seat being arranged to permit entrance `through the door in front of said seat rbetween the seat and instrument board, and means 'supporting' said seat for forward `displacement to permit entrance through the door in rear of the displaced seat, said ineens including' a support for the front of The seat secured to `vthe floor vand unattached to the seat, a second support lsecured -to the `seat and unattachecl to -the rfloor one of saidfsuppor-ts being'disposed in front of the other, and .a linkage comprising two links of different lengths independent vof said front support, constructed and arranged to guide the seat down over the support vselui-ed to 'the door.

rThe device accordingto lclaim 2 wherein the linkage guides the 'seat inla curved path, the centerL of rotation of which is always below the Hoor.

ik dieplaceable seat including in comi, ion, a. seat, means to support the same inch:fling` 'post at the front thereof secured 'to the iioor and unattached :to the seat, |`and means to guide the seat forwardk and vdown *over said post when displaced inclu-dingI a:

link pivoted at its ends to the floor and sea-t, and a second longer link disposed in rear of the `first link vand also piVotally connected atits ends to the floor and seat.

V5. ln a motor 'vehicle,in combination-` a front seat facing` andspaced from 'the instrument board, a door at the side of the seat, said door and seat being arranged toperinit entrance through the door 4in front of said seat between the vseat and instrument board, and means'for supporting.saidseat fer forward displacement to permit entrance through the'door in rear of said displaced seat, vsaid means including asupport for the front of the seat secured to the floor and unattached to the seat, a support for the rear -of the seat secured tothe seat and unattached to and a four-bar linkage having a pivotal connection with the floor and the seat constructed and arranged to guide th'ejseat forward and down over the front support.

In 'testimony whereof I 'affix my lsignature.

- Lnwis o. HILL. 

